AMD Working on "Dynamic Frame Rate Control" Feature

Kaapstad · 18 Dec 2014 at 07:11

AMD is working on a new software feature for its Radeon graphics cards, which it calls "Dynamic Frame Rate Control." Revealed informally to the web, by AMD director of PR Chris Hook, who goes by the handle "AMD_Chris" on various forums, Dynamic Frame Rate Control, or DFRC, is a frame-rate limiter, which gives you power savings when you reduce frame-rates. This probably works by reducing clock speeds to achieve the desired frame-rates.

Sounds a lot like V-Sync? Well the way AMD describes it, DFRC is a frame-rate limiter with a slider. Whereas V-Sync makes the GPU spit out frame-rates to match the monitor's refresh-rate. When a game runs, say, 100 FPS, and you enable V-Sync to bring that down to 60 FPS, your GPU is still running at 3D-performance clocks, unless the 3D load is way too low, and the driver decides to change the power state altogether. DFRC probably achieves lower frame-rates by underclocking the GPU, and increasing the clocks, whenever the scene gets more demanding, and the output FPS drops below the target. Hook describes the energy savings with DFRC as "mind blowing." This peaks our curiosity.

http://www.techpowerup.com/208152/amd-working-on-dynamic-frame-rate-control-feature.html

pgi947 · 18 Dec 2014 at 07:13

Humbug brought this up in the drivers thread the other day kaap

Kaapstad · 18 Dec 2014 at 07:16

pgi947 said:
Humbug brought this up in the drivers thread the other day kaap

Sorry I did not realise.

If it has already been covered perhaps a Don could close this thread.

Disco_P · 18 Dec 2014 at 11:48

It's worth keeping this thread as not everyone visits the AMD drivers thread - especially those who aren't using AMD drivers.

I wonder whether the power savings over limiting fps via rivatuner are significant.

almighty15 · 18 Dec 2014 at 11:53

Well considering forcing V-snc doesn't work reliably in the driver I wouldn't hold your breath on this actually working and being reliable.

flopper · 18 Dec 2014 at 11:55

Make sense tech as usual from AMD.

RageQuit© · 18 Dec 2014 at 12:07

Isn't this a feature of RadeonPro?

andybird123 · 18 Dec 2014 at 12:16

RageQuit© said:
Isn't this a feature of RadeonPro?

Yes, most GPU tools have frame limiting... I can't see that this will be vastly any different, they are just giving it a fancier name and including it in the drivers... though fair play to AMD for finally including things in their drivers instead of relying on third parties to do everything for them

shankly1985 · 18 Dec 2014 at 12:23

almighty15 said:
Well considering forcing V-snc doesn't work reliably in the driver I wouldn't hold your breath on this actually working and being reliable.

Wasn't the vsync only for openGL in the ccc driver? That would explain why you had hard time enabling it.

shankly1985 · 18 Dec 2014 at 12:25

andybird123 said:
Yes, most GPU tools have frame limiting... I can't see that this will be vastly any different, they are just giving it a fancier name and including it in the drivers... though fair play to AMD for finally including things in their drivers instead of relying on third parties to do everything for them

While it's true radeonpro and nvidia have something of the same name and I don't think they reduce the clock speed of the GPUs on the fly..

AMDs version seems to be aiming at this more then just switching on and off vsync..
Based on this.. This is something new.

almighty15 · 18 Dec 2014 at 12:28

shankly1985 said:
Wasn't the vsync only for openGL in the ccc driver? That would explain why you had hard time enabling it.

Well if that's the case then AMD need a firm slap, there competitors have no problems delivering a reliable and consistent driver level v-sync no matter what API a game uses.

Especially as AMD have staff that are more then capable of delivering such a feature.

shankly1985 · 18 Dec 2014 at 12:34

almighty15 said:
Well if that's the case then AMD need a firm slap, there competitors have no problems delivering a reliable and consistent driver level v-sync no matter what API a game uses.

Especially as AMD have staff that are more then capable of delivering such a feature.

Think when was the last time you played a game that didn't have vsync in its settings?
This is why it's not a number one feature to have by users I don't think I seen one person recommend it when we was asked what features we would like couple months back.

You then have performance issues by forcing it into games not all games like having it forced into the game.
You can test this yourself run a game with its own vsync and then again with vsync forced and you see what I mean am sure.

BS Dave · 18 Dec 2014 at 13:30

are tech powerup idiots? surely it won't downclock the gpu, just idle when frame 1 has rendered until the required interval has passed to start on frame 2... why downclock the core to an estimate of what it needs to be?

Most games support this thru the console OR you can already do it through afterburner right. I want proper Nvidia adaptive sync ie v sync if the card can render in time non vsync if it can't.

I know shankly and humbug don't like it, but they don't speak for everyone, i want to see what it's like.

pandem0nium · 18 Dec 2014 at 13:36

This sounds like a great idea. As long as there are no side effects and performance isn't affected. Why not try try to save power by only rendering frames that can be displayed?

james.miller · 18 Dec 2014 at 13:38

BS Dave said:
are tech powerup idiots? surely it won't downclock the gpu, just idle when frame 1 has rendered until the required interval has passed to start on frame 2... why downclock the core to an estimate of what it needs to be?

Most games support this thru the console OR you can already do it through afterburner right. I want proper Nvidia adaptive sync ie v sync if the card can render in time non vsync if it can't.

I know shankly and humbug don't like it, but they don't speak for everyone, i want to see what it's like.

Well, they can clock the core up and down so fast that it's pretty much instant anyway. why not downclock if the gpu isnt needed?

humbug · 18 Dec 2014 at 13:47

pgi947 said:
Humbug brought this up in the drivers thread the other day kaap

Its Fine,

Kaap's thread has more info on it, all i posted was this.

andybird123 · 18 Dec 2014 at 13:58

shankly1985 said:
While it's true radeonpro and nvidia have something of the same name and I don't think they reduce the clock speed of the GPUs on the fly..

AMDs version seems to be aiming at this more then just switching on and off vsync..
Based on this.. This is something new.

U wot m8?
Never heard of GPU Boost then? That is exactly what that does, the gpu only ramps up its clock speed when it is needed, when there's any kind of fps limit in place it stays clocked down as low as 500mhz and only clocks up when needed, same with power, even if its clocked at 800, 1000, 1500, whatever, if it doesnt want to downclock it can still draw less power to get you your fps limit even at the higher clock rate

ubersonic · 18 Dec 2014 at 13:58

AMD wasting money developing something about five people want /shock.

Should have used the money wasted on R&D to price cut the current lineup instead.

Orangey · 18 Dec 2014 at 14:04

I don't think is about feature requests, more about improving their attractiveness to laptop makers...

humbug · 18 Dec 2014 at 14:05

Its extremely rare that i agree with Andy but on this he is right, AMD's 'Power Tune' already does this too.

AMD Power Tune Tested.

With it you can limit the amount of power the GPU is to draw, it also works with V-Sync, it will only ever clock as high as it needs to to maintain the V-Sync 60 FPS.

Having said that this is far from useless, i don't run V-Sync in Shooters, there is an unacceptable input lag with it, you can't see it but it is there.

Dynamic Frame Rate Control means i can limit my FPS without V-Sync and its input lag.

I for one am looking forward to it.